grass-legume mixture

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Kizeková M., Jančová Ľ., Dugátová Z., Čunderlík J., Kanianska R., Makovníková J. and Tomaškin J.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
The paper presents the effect of weather variables on performance and herbage quality of legume monocultures and grass-legume mixtures. In a field experiment, the total dry matter yield and its distribution during the growing period, content of crude protein and fibre of monocultures of Trifolium pratense and Medicago sativa and grass-legume mixtures under the climatic conditions of hilly region in Central Slovakia during two dry years was investigated. Medicago sativa cv. Kamila and Tereza grown as monocultures or as mixtures with Festulolium braunii (cv. Achilles) outperformed Trifolium pretense cv. Fresko and Veles and provided a well-balanced total and seasonal dry matter yield during both years. Across all experimental years, crude protein content was significantly higher at Medicago sativa monocultures and mixtures when compared to Trifolium pratense monocultures (P

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Elgersma A. and Søegaard K.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
Inclusion of legumes in grasslands could enhance N-use efficiency of forage production. Performance of 7 binary grass-legume mixtures was studied to examine companion species with contrasting attributes. Perennial ryegrass (PR) was sown alone and with each of four forage legumes: red clover (RC), birdsfoot trefoil (BT), lucerne (LU) and white clover (WC); WC was sown with each of four companion grasses: PR, hybrid ryegrass (HR), meadow fescue (MF) and timothy (TI). Mixtures were studied in a smallplot (1.5×8 m) cutting trial with 4 replications in Denmark to test the effect of species composition on herbage yield, contents of nitrogen (N) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF), and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD). Plots were fertilised with 300 kg N ha‑1 from cattle slurry and harvested five times from May to October in year 1 and four times in year 2. With different companion grasses, the WC proportion was similar in mixtures with HR and MF, which had a lower WC content than with PR and TI. Annual herbage yield was highest for PR/RC (15.6 Mg DM ha‑1) which had, on average, the highest legume proportion of DM, the highest N content (33 g N kg‑1 DM) and the highest N yield (505 kg N ha‑1) across both years. The mixture with the lowest values was PR/BT (9.6 Mg DM ha‑1; 25 g N kg‑1 DM; 243 kg N ha1). PR/RC had the lowest concentration of NDF (375 g kg‑1 DM) and pure PR the highest (437 g kg‑1 DM). IVOMD ranged from 730 g kg‑1 organic matter (OM) in PR/LU to 774 g kg‑1 OM in WC/HR. Choice of companion grass had less effects than that of companion legume in the examined mixtures. Red clover contributed most to N yield.